<strong>Correction</strong> <strong>News</strong> / June-July 2009Above, John Cook, lead nurse; and PamelaColston, correctional <strong>of</strong>ficer.Below,TammieAdcock,regionalnursesupervisor.Standing, Bernice Thomas, transfer coordinator II; Ricky Dudley, case manager;Stephen Warren, program supervisor; and Chris Batten, program director I. Seated:Rhonda Stephenson, processing assistant III; Jennifer Jones, case manager;and Deborah Keith, licensed clinical social worker.Above, Janet Capps andTammy Felver, licensedpractical nurses.Standing: Sandy Austin, personnelassistant III; Jean Bell, trust fundclerk; and Sylvia Langford, personnelassistant V. Seated: DebbieCreech, <strong>of</strong>fice assistant IIl; andKathleen Howell, canteen <strong>of</strong>ficer.Right,CeliaHill,registerednurse.16 from DOC learn firearms instructionSixteen correctional <strong>of</strong>ficers graduated from arecent firearms instructor school conducted bythe Office <strong>of</strong> Staff Development and Training.The <strong>of</strong>ficers, along with two communitycollege instructors, completed the 80-hour courseat the N.C. Justice Academy in Salemburg on July17. The instruction is approved and regulated bythe Criminal Justice Standards Commission.The 16 certified <strong>of</strong>ficers were trained in theuse <strong>of</strong> firearms in a correctional setting. Twentysevenlesson plans included legal considerations,range operations and low visibility firing.Secretary Alvin Keller visited the class ongraduation day, spoke with all students andthanked them for their hard work and dedicationto training.Max Matthews <strong>of</strong> the OSDT Career DevelopmentSection was the program coordinator. OSDT personnelwho assisted were Michael Lamonds, Mose Cannon,Recent firearms instruction class, from left: Front row, Charles Norman, DCC District 1;George Blackmon, Harnett CI; Tom Shaver, Rowan CC; Adam York, Mountain View CI;Brandi Renfro, DCC District 24; Carl Crooms, DCC District 26; Henry Nordan, MorrisonCI; and Greg Parker, Halifax Community College. Back row, Charles Phillips, CraggyCC; Sonny Reynolds, Tyrrell PWF; Gregory Foreman, DCC District 18; Michael Norris,Central Prison; Lynn Midyette, Beaufort Community College; Bryan Conway, Carteret CC;Ronald Perry, Wayne <strong>Correction</strong>al Center; Walter Phipps, Pender CI; Rodney Moore,Southern CI; and Terry Tart, Wayne CC.Monica Shabo, Donna Hammonds, Richard Chase,Jimmy Stroud and Garrett Robinson.
<strong>Correction</strong> <strong>News</strong> / June-July 2009Avery-Mitchell CI plants contribute to community<strong>Correction</strong>al <strong>of</strong>ficers Russell Chandler, left, and Jeffery Cassanego, alongwith inmates Edward Gurley and Anthony Kilgo, show <strong>of</strong>f some <strong>of</strong> thebounty from the Buncombe <strong>Correction</strong>al Center garden this year.A thrifty, generous garden at Buncombe CCBuncombe <strong>Correction</strong>al Center’s extra effort with itsgarden this year has paid <strong>of</strong>f with cost savings to theprison.Local greenhouses and sales farms donated morethan 10,000 plants for prison gardening. Most wereplanted at Buncombe, but some were also shared withprisons.According to project leader Food Service OfficerRussell Chandler, “The garden has produced to date181 bushel <strong>of</strong> produce, which is being used in theFood Service <strong>Department</strong> almost daily now. We are als<strong>of</strong>reezing excess produce for use this winter.”Additionally more than 70 bushels <strong>of</strong> produce havebeen given to other prisons to help <strong>of</strong>f set strainedfood service budgets.The garden is tended by an inmate crew and monitoredby Chandler and <strong>Correction</strong>al Officer JefferyCassanego.“We have a very skilled inmates working the garden,and the inmates that are less skilled are showing a greatinterest in learning this craft,” Cassanego said.The <strong>of</strong>ficers estimated that the garden has producedmore than $5,000 dollars worth <strong>of</strong> produce, whichmay double based on current market prices.Instructors Shane Biddix andSara C<strong>of</strong>fey along with RhondaPeterson, Avery-Mitchell CIeducation supervisor.The Avery/Mitchell <strong>Correction</strong>alInstitution horticultureprogram has donatedplants to a gardenthat encourages a sense<strong>of</strong> community and sharing<strong>of</strong> work and bounty.Plants -- includingcaulflower, broccoli andcabbage -- were donatedin June to the Green ValleyCommunity Garden.All plants not sold toemployees or used in theprison garden must bedestroyed or donated toa non-pr<strong>of</strong>it organization.The horticulture programis under the supervisionand instruction <strong>of</strong>Shane Biddix, a contractemployee <strong>of</strong> MaylandCommunity College.The donations wereinitiated by Jada Daniels,classification coordinatorand a resident <strong>of</strong> GreenValley. Approximately32 flats with more than1,500 plants were donatedto the garden project.The Green ValleyCommunity Garden allowslocal residents tojoin for a fee <strong>of</strong> $5. Themoney is used to purchaseseeds, fertilizer andother necessities for thegarden.All who join andcommit to two hoursper week to work in thegarden have a joint sharein the crops. Any extracrops after members gettheir share are dividedamong local food banks.Green thumbs,good gardensNice cabbagesLou Powell, right, horticulture instructor at Pamlico<strong>Correction</strong>al Institution, recently showed the prison’sleadership an example <strong>of</strong> the skills that his inmatestudents are learning. The cabbages are prizewinning size and the peturnias are vibrant. From leftare Willard Hall, assistant superintendent / custody& operations; Michael J. Lamm, superintendent;Anthony Florence, assistant superintendent /programs; and Vicki Courtney, administrative <strong>of</strong>ficer.<strong>Correction</strong> <strong>News</strong>is an employee newsletter published by the <strong>North</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Correction</strong>’sPublic Affairs Office. If you have questions, comments or story ideas,please contact George Dudley at dgh02@doc.state.nc.usor 919.716.3713.